Earliest Memorial Memory

My earliest memory of visiting a memorial site is when my 5^th grade class took a field trip to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. However, some parts of the trip I do not remember. One thing I remember most is the park guide giving a cannon demonstration and firing actual cannons. Another part of the trip I remember most is when the park guide asked for a volunteer to dress in an outfit that was common to that time period. Of course, I volunteered and thought it was hilarious because the outfit was too short for me.

Although this is my first recollection of visiting a memorial site, I have visited others that have left an impact on me. The main one being the Korean War Memorial with the saying “Freedom Is Not Free.” Although I do not know anyone who fought in the Korean War, my family recently experienced the loss of a close family friend in Afghanistan. The saying is always in my heart as I now realize that freedom really is not free, and everyone has to incur losses to reach that place. Another memorial in D.C. that amazes me is the Lincoln Memorial due to its massive size. Obviously, not every president has a memorial of that size, or even a memorial at all, exemplifying the importance of Abraham Lincoln.

-Mary Carson Irvine